Luggage/carry on concerns

JODIGJODIG
in South Africa: An Elegant Adventure
I will be leaving in just a couple of weeks for the Elegant Adventure tour. I am having some real anxiety over the whole luggage and carry on size/weight issue. Has anyone recently gone on this trip that can tell me exactly what the restrictions are. I know about the 44lb issue, but I am having trouble figuring out the carry on restrictions, as one place indicates a carryon no larger than a knapsack. I am finding this near impossible for a 2 week trip...please HELP!


In addition, any other advise that can be offered regarding this tour would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Comments

  • DickhardyDickhardy
    This is not a big issue. I used an Eagle Creek carry on and my wife used a Swiss Army thing she got at Costco that's fairly big - neither were a problem. Weight is more of an issue - they tend to pay attention to that on internal flights. Relax!
  • DickhardyDickhardy
    This is not a big issue. I used an Eagle Creek carry on and my wife used a Swiss Army thing she got at Costco that's fairly big - neither were a problem. Weight is more of an issue - they tend to pay attention to that on internal flights. Relax!
  • BmanciniBmancini
    My Elegant Adventure starts Jan. 30. We may be on the same tour. Remember what they say: Pack and then take 1/2 out - something I can never do - HA. My carry on is usually a knap sack - you would be surprised at what you can get in them. When I travel I never carry a pocketbook. My clothes have pockets with zippers.
  • RCSRCS
    Based on my experience on this trip this past May, I would say that they did pay attention to the weight limits that Tauck posts for both the checked and carry on luggage.

    When leaving Cape Town for Sabi Sabi, they were weighing the carry on bags as we stood in the check-in line. Two odd things occurred here. One was if you had a laptop computer you were given a slightly higher allowance. I think it was 1.5 pounds, but as I didn't have one with me so I really didn't pay attention. The second was, I had a backpack for my carry on, when I handed it to them to weight, they said it wasn't necessary as it wasn't a carry on.

    One thing was sure, the procedures at the airports was subject to change all the time. Our Tour Director told us what to expect based on the previous trip, but cautioned us that it might be different for us. Sometimes it was the same and sometimes different.

    Enjoy your trip.
  • McCarthyFamilyMcCarthyFamily
    Luggage is an issue. Unless you like standing in lines, make sure that your bags weigh less than 44 pounds because that is what the domestic flight requires between Cape Town and Johannesburg. Roll on carry on are an issue as well. Sometimes they were allowed other times not. Be sure you have a lock on you in case you are not allowed to carry it on and need to store it. The best thing to do is to have one large bag with less than 44 pounds and one soft carry on that thou can easily carry. Pack light for this trip. You are on safari for four days and should wear the same clothes since the dust is messy. Why dirty four pairs of pants. You can have your clothes washed at Sabi Sabi. there is not need to pack elegant clothes, everything is casual. Pack light and enjoy yourself.
  • captaingailcaptaingail
    To those of you have asked about luggage limits, I would think that if you are traveling with Tauck, since the international limit is two bags at 50 lbs each, you should not have a problem--especially if you purchased the air tickets from Tauck.

    However, it is important to talk to someone knowledgeable at Tauck yourself. Note the time and date you speak to the person and obtain their name. If they can't help or seem unsure, askto speak to a supervisor. Tauck knows what the correct info is. We just returned from the Australia-NZ trip, and while the domestic limit was 44 lbs, like South Africa, we were not challenged regarding weight for the four flights within Australia that Tauck included in the trip. And in N.Z, it was a moot point because Tauck used private Whisper Jets that held about 50 people and we were only 25.

    As for carry on, the weight limit is 18 lbs. There's a way to get around that. Carry a large tote bag or a back pack as your personal bag and pack it with the heavier things you would normally put in the carry on--your camera, meds, emergency clothes, etc. If a ticket taker should want to weight your carry on, it will be lighter. Then wait until you pass through the boarding check in station where you board the plane to switch the stuff back into the carry on either in the connector passageway leading to the plane or when you reach your seat. To make it easier to transfer, have all of it inside a large plastic bag. I wear a waist pack on the plane instead of lugging a pocketbook and shove it in the tote bag that I place under the seat in front of me while I am flying

    In addition, we are traveling to South Africa independently in March for 3 weeks and have 4 internal flights as well as a flight to Zimbabwe to visit Victoria Falls. We used a travel agent that specializes in S.A. and they booked our air with South Africa Air. It was a consolidator ticket, whatever that means, and was $400 less per person than I could cobble together on the South African air website.

    Because I too was concerned about the posts here about luggage limits, I asked our travel agent, who told me that for all the flights, our limit is 50 lbs for each of 2 bags each--and if we had a problem to ask for a supervisor. He also said, in writing, that if we were charged for more than 44 lbs during the domestic flights, to contact him when we returned and he would deal with S.A. air and get us a refund.

    I also called S.A. air for their opinion. Their agent checked my type of ticket, since I have not yet received my documents, and told me that because all our flights were all ticketed at the same time, our limit is 50 lbs for two bags each. If you purchased your own tickets, call the airline. South Africa Air's number in the U.S. is 800 722 9675 M-F 8:30-8 pm Sat-Sun 8-4 pm.

    If you are traveling with another person, good advice I got from other Tauck travelers is to put half your clothes in each other's bag as a precaution. Also, to cut down on the number of shoes, the bane of us women, use one blendable color scheme for your clothes. That worked great for me during the 22 day Australia-NZ trip. I only had to pack three pairs of shoes. Have a wonderful trip.
This discussion has been closed.